Warning: These Foods Might Be Fake

Before dropping big bucks on a block of aged Parmesan cheese at Whole Foods, think twice. The black market has turned its greedy eye to the food world.

In recent years, the amount of money made on illegal goods has skyrocketed. From wine to olive oil, the world of delicious food and drink is full of impostors. And the dangers go beyond your checkbook, unfortunately. Recent news reports told of the 22 tons of fake beef seized from a factory in China. The beef was actually pork, treated with paraffin wax and industrial salts. Do you want that in your dinner?

According to the BBC, “Economic strife, unemployment and the high cost of living could lead to a growth in black market food sales and food fraud.” Be sure you know what you’re buying.

Take a look at the gallery to see what surprising foods are on the black-market list, and double check your goods before stepping up to the cashier.

Lamb

Where is the fake food coming from? China
What's the deal? In May, the New York Times reported that Chinese officials put a stop to an extended black market ring. They had been passing off uninspected fox, mink, and rat meat as lamb. Since then, they have seized 20,000 pounds of fake meat and put a stop to 1,721 factories trading in illegal meats.

Vodka

Where is the fake alcohol coming from? Moscow Farm in England
What's the deal? An organized Russian crime gang was discovered producing thousands of liters of fake vodka under the name "Glen's Vodka." The bottles were so well packaged that they didn't draw suspicion on liquor store shelves all over Great Britain. The fraud was exposed when, as the New York Times reports, at least 20 people from all over Europe died from the fake alcohol. The whole fiasco cost the British government an estimated $2.3 million in revenue.

Blue Mountain Coffee

Where is the fake food coming from? Tourist shops in Jamaica, online dealers
What's the deal? Since 2011, Jamaican coffee representatives have been fighting to preserve the integrity of Blue Mountain Coffee beans from the country's most famous coffee producer. Many tourist stands sell cheaper, non-fair trade coffee with the Blue Mountain logo. Authorities and Blue Mountain Coffee stress that buyers should look for a certificate of authenticity when picking up a bag of Jamaican Blue Mountain.

Chicken Eggs

Where is the fake food coming from? China
What's the deal? In 2011, TIME Magazine reported that a woman known as Ms. Tiang bought 2.5kg of eggs in a market after noticing they were a few cents cheaper than normal. As it turned out, her purchase was not a good deal. All the eggs were fake, made from a mould and resin, starch, coagulant, and pigments. Time reported that the shells were made from an amalgamate of paraffin wax, gypsum powder, and calcium carbonate.

Tequila

Where is the fake alcohol coming from? All over the world
What's the deal? According to the Tequila Regulatory Council of Mexico, 8 out of 10 tequilas do not meet the standard imposed by the council. Sales of adulterated tequila have topped $530 million. Info Drink's statistics are shocking: 60 million liters of fake tequila, plus 400 illegal producers (300 of which are outside of Mexico). Council regulations stipulate that real tequila must be produced in Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, or Nayarit and meet safety standards.
Read more: High Life Decoded: Tequila and Mezcal

Caviar

Where is the fake food coming from? Missouri, among other places
What's the deal? Caviar always fetches a high price on menus, but not all of it is the traditional roe from beluga sturgeon that you'd expect. New Scientist Magazine reports that as demand for beluga caviar rises and the fish population drops, black market con artists have tapped a more plentiful source of fish roe: the North American paddlefish, a 400-million-year-old relic of the dinosaur age. One female's roe alone sells for $4,000 on the black market. The eggs are often exported from the U.S., then relabeled as beluga caviar and resold.

Wine

Where is the fake alcohol coming from? Asia
What's the deal? As many residents of Asia become wealthier, the demand for good vino has grown to the point that black-market dealers are producing fake wine. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Wine consultant Charles Curtis recommends checking the capsule (foil) for appropriate signs of aging. He also suggests using a flashlight to inspect the cork for signs of previous removal, and checking the bottle's label for misspellings and other errors. It may seem paranoid, but there's good reason: in 2004, approximately $18 million of fake wine was sold around the world.

Truffles

Where is the fake food coming from? China
What's the deal?Chow reports that 2006 was a notoriously bad year for truffles in France due to a heat wave in which the Périgord region’s crop dropped from 50 tons to 9 tons. Conveniently, the Chinese black truffle looks nearly the same and illicit exporters worked hard to make sure truffle-lovers were satiated. At $50 per ounce, it's an expensive mistake to make.

Olive Oil

Where is the fake food coming from? Italy
What's the deal? Individuals and commercial operations chemically doctor cheap low-grade oil in order to sell it as “extra virgin olive oil,” according to Food Renegade. The doctoring has been going on for so long that olive-oil professionals can't even tell the difference.
In April 2008, a police operation impounded seven olive oil plants and arrested 40 people in nine provinces of northern and southern Italy for adding chlorophyll to sunflower and soybean oil and selling it as extra virgin olive oil, both in Italy and abroad. Want to avoid the con and ensure you get the good stuff? Read our primer on buying olive oil.

Parmesan Cheese

Where is the fake food coming from? United States
What's the deal?According to Forbes, Parmesan cheese consists of three ingredients: "milk (produced in the Parma/Reggio region and less than 20 hours from cow to cheese), salt, and rennet (a natural enzyme from calf intestine)."
Unfortunately, much of what is sold in the United States has about as little in common with authentic Parmesan as possible. Kraft grated Parmesan, for example, includes "Cellulose Powder, Potassium Sorbate, and Cheese Cultures." Parmesan is famously considered one of the most healthy cheeses, with no additives and high protein content. Not around these parts.

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